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Double red for Jaguares in Kings win

Date published: May 27 2016

The Kings managed to secure a bonus-point victory when they beat a 12-man Jaguares 29-22 in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

The home side outscored the Jaguares by four tries to one, despite the visitors' brave and intelligent second-half effort they could not outsmart the Kings, handing them a try-scoring bonus point as well.

The Kings' tries came via prop Schalk Ferreira, a penalty try, Dewald Human and Wandile Mjekevu while the visitors' only try was scored by number eight Facundo Isa.

The men from Argentina were reduced to 13 men after lock Tomás Lavanini and prop Ramiro Herrera both saw red in the 25th and 37th minute, respectively, and with ten minutes to go Tomás Lezana was sent to the sin bin for collapsing a maul which meant the Jaguares finished the match with just 12 men.

The Port Elizabeth outfit failed to use the early two-man advantage, which they enjoyed for nearly 50 minutes, to good effect as they missed tackles but more surprisingly kept on kicking the ball back to the visitors.

The first red card, which came moments before wing Emiliano Boffelli dotted down after he collected a cross-kick from his fly-half only to be reversed when Lavanini saw red. This shifted the momentum in the favour of the home side as they started playing with more confidence albeit not having any points to show for it.

A single Louis Fouché penalty early in the first half were the only points for the Kings while Argentina fly-half Nicolás Sánchez responded with two penalties to hand the visitors a slender three point advantage as the players headed down the tunnel with the scores on 6-3.

The visitors, having been reduced to 13 men, made no intention of running at the Kings defensive line, as Sánchez added (three) more second half penalties that gave the men from Argentina a healthy lead for the majority of the second half.

It wasn't until the Tomás Lezana yellow card that handed the Kings their second try, this also meant that the visitors finished the match with just 12 men. Moments later Super Rugby debutant Dewald Human, who came on for Jurgen Visser early in the first half, ran in the home side's third try and the subsequent conversion from Fouché handed the Kings a slender 24-22 as the match headed into the final five minutes.

Speedster Wandile Mjekevu, on loan from the Sharks, added the fourth and bonus-point try to give the Kings their first bonus point victory this season.